Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, 4)

Each book in this YA fantasy has grown progressively darker... as you'd expect - I mean, we're talking about an impending war, so it makes sense that there will be violence, gore, and death. Unfortunately, to my dissatisfaction, this pretty decent fantasy is crossing over into more of a romantasy... ✅️ Action! Pretty fast moving overall ✅️ More background on newer characters ✅️ Definite changes to personas / maturing of young adults ✅️ Moral dilemmas ⚠️ Contains cursing and talk of adult situations (no actual use of the word "sex" and no f-bombs / prolific use of "GD" although written as "gods" plural) ⛔️ 3/5 🌶 Too much romance for my tastes (extreme longings, lingering touches, cringe excessive flirting & convos about sex without ever actually using that word / closed-door action). Just my opinion, a way to ruin a perfectly good book is to add in romance! Several pages could've been removed throughout the book and it would not have detracted from the story 😅😒

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ WOWOWOWOW Definitely one of my favorites from the series so far. I was not expecting the King’s story arc, Chaol really redeemed himself by the end (though it was long overdue), Aelin has developed beautifully, Manon is a character I have come to adore, and her implied pairing with Dorian?? Power couple of the century.

Even though the love has seemed overdone, it all feels GENUINE. It (between any character) has been built up over an appropriate amount of time, there is tangible emotion between the characters, and it doesn’t feel forced or out of place. Aelin and Rowan were a pairing I was not initially rooting for or expecting, but given what it is and what it has become makes so much sense. And though I initially expected her and Dorian to rekindle once he established his rule and she returned to Ruthfold, it is so perfect that they remain friends and magical, ruling sentries to their lands.

I was so pleased with Lysandra’s arc and reintroduction as well: she went from being a shallow, glorified piece of ass to a real genuine human being that shared common values and principles with Aelin that their friendship came so readily and sweetly.
AND KALTAIN??? MISS KALTAIN QUEEN OF SHADOW??? Good night that scene in Morath will live in my head rent free until the day I die. I detested the woman to start, pittied her the second she ended up in the dungeon under the glass castle, and then she SWEPT IN AND NOW I LOVE HER. Absolute power house the woman.

I really cannot say enough about Aelin and how much I have come to love and appreciate her, and the way she has interacted with all the other characters so far. It’s been really special to immerse myself in and see her reap the rewards of keeping her light and moving through pain and hardship…and sharing that with Dorian as he begins his own navigation of heartache.

I have also appreciated the “slow” of the story-line a lot have complained about it other reviews. If Aelin and Rowan acted on their impulses by now, or if the ‘coming of age’ as queen shift happened in the first book for Aelin, then things would have felt much more rushed and predictable. I have enjoyed the pace and think it adds to the storyline.

The writing is a bit repetitive (how many time can someone be ‘adjective incarnate’?) which is to be expected over the course of a series this long, but overall I have really enjoyed this read and the series so far. Though I will probably take a break at this time since the emotional turmoil in the books so far has really wrecked me and built me up so much I feel exhausted and apprehensive to continue. All I can ask and hope for at this point is that Rowan and Aelin have their moment, Lysandra lives to enjoy hrer newfound freedom, and Manon continues becoming something better than she was to start…maybe alongside Dorian??

This is my Roman Empire series. I loved every single book and am giving them all 5 stars. I was so invested in the storyline and in the characters and their arcs. Hands down, this is my favorite series to date.

Loved it!

This series is quickly becoming my favorite fantasy series of all time. The relationships, the world building, the relatability to Aelin & her grief.. its utter perfection.

My *one* gripe is that Rowan and Aelin are distant cousins. I know it's incredibly far removed but... that didn't have to be part of the story. I don't understand why Sarah put that little tidbit in there.

Overall, I absolutely love them together, I love Lysandra's story, I felt much more connected to the witch covens in this book, and I loved when their paths all crossed!

I'm taking my time with this series because I had a severe book hangover after ACOTAR, but I'm really excited to see where it goes.

(deciding not to do the tandem read this time around).